Honey Savior is an Orthodox holiday in honor of the Savior (Jesus Christ), in another way it is also called the First Savior, Wet, and also Water. Its full ecclesiastical name is "The Wearing of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord".
Honey Savior (First Savior) is a holiday celebrated by the Orthodox Church in August on the 14th (August 1 according to the old calendar). It is on this day that the consecration of new collection of honey, water, medicinal herbs and poppy takes place, which gives them extraordinary healing power. It is believed that it is at this time that honey ripens, and it is from the Savior that they begin to eat it, having previously consecrated it in the church.
On this day, processions of the cross to reservoirs took place earlier, the water was consecrated, after which they bathed in them (washed away sins). After that day we didn’t swim anymore.
According to customs, on the First Spas (Honey Spas) they baked honey pies, buns and buns with honey and poppy seeds and went home, treated everyone. Honey Savior falls on the first day of the Dormition fourteen-day fast.
The Assumption Fast is a strict Orthodox fast for many days in honor of the Mother of God. During this fast on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, it is allowed to eat only bread, fruits and vegetables (dry eating), on Tuesday and Thursday, you can eat hot food, but without vegetable oil, vegetable oil is also allowed on Saturday and Sunday. On the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, as well as on the Assumption of the Virgin, you can also eat fish.
Signs and traditions on Honey Spas:
- If it started raining on Honey Savior, then the next year will be fruitful, and the more abundant the rainfall, the greater the harvest.
- On Maccabees (another name for the Savior), poppy is harvested.
- If it rains on the Maccabees, there will be few fires next year.
- From this day, flowers begin to fade, as abundant dew falls.
- It is believed that from this day on, the water begins to cool down, therefore, after the Honey Spas, they do not bathe.
